Haydn turned his head and smiled weakly at Royce, his smile turning more genuine as his husbandâs gaze held his. It was a little embarrassing that just looking into Royceâs dark eyes affected him like this. Everything felt magically better when Royce was close and looking at him.âI know,â Haydn said with a sigh, putting his head on Royceâs shoulder and deeply inhaling his familiar scent. It comforted him. âBut Dr. Jordan said this procedure was too risky. What if he doesnât remember anything when he wakes up?âRoyce dropped a kiss on top of his head. âThen weâll help him remember. At least heâs back to normal now, not a mindless beast anymore.âHaydn frowned. âHe wasnât really a mindless beast when we found him in the forest.âIt was most puzzling. Although Devlin hadnât recognized him, he clearly was capable of at least some cognitive thinking, which was a much better state than he had been in when heâd escaped the hospital months ago. Fuck, there were so many things they still didn
The truth was, Devlin hadnât given his consent to this procedure. Haydn might have had his cousinâs best interests at heart, but he still had forced him to undergo an incredibly risky procedure the result of which wasnât guaranteed. Devlin might wake up and not even remember who he was. He might wake up with his sanity gone. He might wake up and hate Haydn for his broken bond.Haydn cringed at the thought. Heâd been honestly shocked when the doctors had told him that Devlin had an active mating bond. He couldnât imagine the circumstances of a feral Xeus bonding to someone. In fact, he tried hard not to think about it. He could only hope that whoever the unfortunate bondmate was, Devlin hadnât inadvertently hurt them.But it wasnât relevant anymore. The bond was now gone. The genetic modification procedure had inevitably broken it.Haydn wondered if his cousin would even remember that heâd been bonded to someone. If heâd miss the bond. Would it hurt? The doctors back home had no idea,
âOf course,â the alphas chorused, their gazes on Liam.Jules took Liamâs arm, dragged him away a little, and hissed, âIf you sic your fans on me again, I swear your face wonât be so pretty anymore. You think I donât know what youâre doing? Stop. Just stop. I get that you have a veritable legion of suitors, but I donât need your leftovers. Get it?âLiam sighed, as if Jules was the unreasonable one. âI didnât sic them on you. I may have told them that I appreciate alphas that treat my family with kindness and respect. Thatâs all!âJules scoffed. âRight. Thatâs totally all.âSighing again, Liam took his arm and walked them to the corner of the ballroom, away from any potential eavesdroppers. âLook,â he said softly, his expression serious. âI really hate that youâre not having fun. I just wanted to help, Jules. I hate that you always look like you want to be anywhere but here. This is our debut season, not just mine. I hate that you hide in a corner of the ballroom and look miserable.âJu
âYou think heâs really interested?â one of the younger alphas said, looking positively crushed. Jules could sympathize.âWho knows,â another alpha said, her gaze on the dancing couple. âBut Westcliff is thirty already. He canât sleep around forever. Heâs probably thinking of settling down soon.âAnother alpha scoffed. âPlease. It has little to do with his age. If the rumors are true, the king will want him to marry and produce an heir.âThe first alpha shot him a startled look. âYou really think the king will disown Prince Haydn and make Westcliff the heir?ââItâs not just a rumor,â the Marchioness of Ferhum cut in. âIâve heard from a reliable source that the paperwork has already been drawn up. It should be announced any day now.âA murmur of unease rippled through the group. âBut heâs a Xeus,â someone said. âWe have never had a Xeus on the throne. People will not be happy.ââWhich probably explains why Westcliff is suddenly expressing interest in a noble, beautiful omega,â another a
Jules nearly gasped from sheer outrage. A good story? Westcliff wanted to pursue Liam because it would make a good story? What a cynical, manipulative dick of aââDonât tell me you donât find him attractive,â Terlaine said, sounding stunned.Westcliff shrugged again, some emotion flickering in his eyes. âHeâs beautiful,â he said without any inflection whatsoever. âHeâll do. Itâll be a PR win, a stunt to distract people from the distasteful news that a Xeus will be inheriting the throne. You know the common folk like romanticizing the royalsâ courtships and weddings. Heâs beautiful enough to be a good distraction from the bad news.âDistraction? A stunt?Over my dead body, Jules thought viciously.He must have made some noise, because Westcliff suddenly looked right in his direction.Jules froze.Carefully extinguishing his cigarette with his shiny shoe, Westcliff said, âYou can come out now, whoever you are. Donât make me drag you out of the bushes.âJules clenched his hands into fist
Ilona exhaled in relief when someone finally broke up the fight. It was Prince Haydn. He might be only six, too, but he was the kingâs legitimate son and heir, so of course the children listened to him.She watched as Haydn helped Devlin to his feet and said something, but Devlin ignored it and stormed away, blood still running down his split lip. To his credit, his bullies didnât look any better.A short while later, the door opened and Devlin entered her room. Ilona wasnât surprised. He always came to her when he was hurt or upset or angry. She might not be his nanny anymore, but Ilona knew she was the only person the little boy trusted in the whole palace. It was both heartwarming and disheartening.âLet me see it,â she said, making him sit down.They were silent while she treated his lip and bruised knuckles, Devlinâs eyes on his hands. Sheâd lost count of how many times this had happened.âWhat happened this time?â she finally said, though she could guess. She often heard other c
Liam smiled a little. Taking Julesâs hands into his own, he squeezed them. âOf course I want to be loved. But I think love will come in time. Itâs perfectly fine that he isnât in love with me yet. Iâm not in love with him, either. But Iâm sure itâll happen as we spend more time together. Love takes time, Jules. I couldnât dream of a better suitor. He was perfectly charming, heâs the most handsome alpha Iâve ever seen, and he smells nice.âJules frowned. At times like this, he hated that his suppressants deprived him of normal sensory inputs. âYouâre compatible?ââWe could be,â Liam said. âHe smells nice enough to make me want to inhale his scent more.â He shrugged. âItâs not like I have experience with such things. Sure, itâs nothing like in those trashy novelsâI donât get instantly slick when heâs closeâbut that probably doesnât happen in real life.âJules averted his gaze.âWait,â Liam said. âDid that happen to you with yourâââI donât want to talk about it,â Jules said, crossing his
Someone cleared his throat behind them. âMr. Blake.âHis stomach plummeting, Jules turned and found Westcliff and Liam standing there. Judging by the sympathetic look on Liamâs pretty face, they had heard Uncle Wayneâs words.Looking anywhere but at Westcliff, Jules smiled faintly while Uncle Wayne and Westcliff made small talk. He didnât care. Being publicly humiliated was hardly something new for him. He didnât give a shit about Westcliffâs opinion.âWould you care to dance?âAt the sudden silence, Jules frowned and looked at Westcliff. Realizing that he was looking at him expectantly, his hand stretched to him, Jules flushed. Glancing at Liam, he found him looking at Westcliff with a grateful, soft smile, which only humiliated Jules more. He didnât need anyoneâs pity, much less this alphaâs.Jules glared at Westcliff and bit out, âNo, thanks.âThe startled expression on Westcliffâs stupidly handsome face would have made Jules laugh in any other circumstances. Had anyone ever told th
âKhĂŽng, nhưng tĂŽi nghÄ© tá»i nay anh áș„y sáșœ cáș§u hĂŽn,â Liam nĂłi. âNĂł chá» hợp lĂœ thĂŽi. HĂŽm qua, tĂŽi tĂŹnh cá» nghe ÄÆ°á»Łc cuá»c trĂČ chuyá»n qua Äiá»n thoáșĄi cá»§a anh áș„y vá»i ai ÄĂł - tĂŽi nghÄ© lĂ má»t nhĂąn viĂȘn PR nĂ o ÄĂł. Westcliff nĂłi ráș±ng nhĂ vua sáșœ ÄÆ°a ra thĂŽng bĂĄo sau vĂ i ngĂ y nữa - Ăœ tĂŽi lĂ vá» HoĂ ng tá» Haydn. Westcliff cĆ©ng muá»n thĂŽng bĂĄo vá» viá»c ÄĂnh hĂŽn cá»§a chĂșng tĂŽi vĂ o khoáșŁng thá»i gian ÄĂł. NĂł cĂł Ăœ nghÄ©a. âJules ÄĂŁ nghiĂȘn cứu ká»č lÆ°á»Ąng vá» anh trai mĂŹnh.KhuĂŽn máș·t ÄĂĄng yĂȘu cá»§a Liam ráș„t khĂł Äá»c, nhưng ÄĂŽi máșŻt cá»§a anh áș„y khĂŽng háșłn lĂ ĂĄnh lĂȘn háșĄnh phĂșc.âYou donât have to say yes,â Jules said, feeling painfully uncomfortable. He was so damn torn about the subject he didnât know what advice to give. He didnât want Liam to marry an alpha he didnât love for the sake of their family, but⊠He was scared that if he told Liam not to marry Westcliff, it would be selfish advice.To make things more confusing, there was a small, horrible part of him that did want Westcliff as the alpha of their family. That
Except even that fantasy wasnât enough. Thinking about the Xeus just made his broken bond ache. Ache and hurt like an old wound that was starting to bleed again. The pain somehow amplified the desire, and soon Jules was half-sobbing into his pillow, his hips pushing greedily onto the dildo. Need him, need him, canât need him, need him. Gone, need him, gone. I needâI needâI need. It was fucking horrible. Jules had never felt worse in his life, his muscles trembling, his cock sore, his body oversensitive and needy, and his bond aching.So he tried not to think about his Xeus. He made himself think of other alphas, trying to tell himself that any alpha would do. Any alpha with a thick, hard cock would do. He was desperate enough to almost believe it.He imagined going to a ball, his cock stiff and his slick dribbling down his leg. He imagined alphas turning toward him, their nostrils flaring and their cocks straining their pants. He would be attractive to alphas for once. They would want
Julian flushed. âIt was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, afterâŠâAfter sex.Devlin gave a clipped nod, clasping his hands behind his back. His fingers and his jawline itched, as they did when he was on the verge of transforming. Through sheer willpower, he managed to keep his claws in.It was a normal enough reaction, to feel protective of a young omega he cared about.It was.âBut the bond took?â he said, his voice very neutral.Julian nodded, not looking at him. âWe were naturally compatible.âDevlinâs claws dug into his palm. He turned away and walked to the window.He took a deep breath, staring at Dainiriâs nearly full disk, and then another, until he had his claws under control.âI see,â he heard himself say. âThe risk still exists, then. Medical intervention might be needed.ââWhat do you mean?â Julian said. âMore suppressants?ââIncreasing the dose again might do more harm than good,â Devlin said stiffly. âIâm hardly a doctor, but even I know that you canât keep changing yo
Ignoring the question, Devlin studied him carefully. âDo you feel better?ââWhat?â Julian said, his brows knitting together.Devlin looked at him sharply. âYour brother said you didnât feel well.âJulian averted his gaze. âRight! Of course. I feel better now. Much betterâââYou didnât want to go with us.âThe omega winced, but he didnât even try to deny it. So it was true.It shouldnât have bothered him. It really was none of his business.âWhy?â Devlin said.Julian shrugged. âItâs not exactly fun being a third wheel.â He still wouldnât meet Devlinâs eyes.âYouâre not telling the truth,â Devlin said, becoming more certain of it the longer Julian avoided looking at him. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him.It shut with a click.âWhat are you doing?â Julian said. âAnd Iâm not lying. You think itâs funâââJulian,â Devlin said quietly. âLook at me.âAfter a moment, the omega finally did as he was told. There was a half-scowl on his face but some other emotion in his eyes
âAll riââ Liam started saying, but Devlin cut him off.âYour brother canât leave the ball with me,â he said, looking at Julian. âYou donât want any nasty rumors to start flying around, do you?âHe could actually hear Julian grind his teeth.âFine,â he said, still sounding a mix of annoyed and bewildered.The helicopter ride to the Blake house was a strange one. Liam was the only one talking, chattering non-stop about the perfection that was Viscount Nasr while Julian determinedly didnât look at Devlin.Devlin bored his eyes into him, his fingertips tingling, his claws itching to come out. He curled his hands into fists and breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the way Julian smelled. It was impossible. Julian fucking reeked. He reeked of another alpha. Devlin wanted to fix it, run his hands all over the brat, until he smelled right.It was probably a good thing that Julian was the first to jump out of the helicopter when they arrived, because Devlin didnât trust himself.Tearing his ga
Julian glared at him, his cheekbones a little pink. âThat was a dick move,â he said, glancing back at Nasr, who was left standing in the middle of the dance floor.âHeâs much too old for you,â Devlin said, stroking his thumb against Julianâs wrist.âStop scent-marking me,â Julian gritted out, his color heightening. âAnd he isnât too old. Heâs half Korfâs age.ââThat shouldnât be your measuring stick,â Devlin said. âI told you I wouldnât allow your uncle to give you to Korf. You deserve better.âJulian chuckled. âBetter? Who?âDevlinâs lips thinned. âSomeone better than Nasr.ââThereâs nothing wrong with Viscount Nasr. Heâs perfectly nice and pleasant, and he actually sees me for being me. Iâve known him foreverâhe has a neighboring estate. He was always nice to me when I was a child.ââThat hardly says good things about him, does it? What a creep.âJulian stomped on his right foot. âYouâre being an ass,â he said, his voice a mix of annoyed and bewildered. He blinked a few times. âI do
Their date that day was unexpectedly tedious.Devlin found it difficult to keep his attention on his date, his mood sour and distracted. He was aware that he was acting like a dick, his attitude probably too cold and unapproachable. Liam seemed to have given up on trying to strike up a conversation with him after a few hesitant attempts and focused his attention entirely on the aircar race. When Liam spoke, he spoke only to the beta chaperone who had accompanied them to the race.By the time the race was over, Devlin had a headache once again, his body brimming with tension and anxiety, the source of which he couldnât pinpoint. He barely had the patience to smile for the paparazzi as they left the track, and his smile was probably very strained. Hopefully he didnât actually look like he wanted to punch someone.He dropped Liam off, and then he hesitated, looking at the Blake house. It would be only polite to inquire how Julian was feeling.Devlin pulled his phone out of his pocket and
Several weeks passed like that. Westcliff called on Liam and took him out on dates, putting on that disgustingly charming mask he wore in public. More often than not, Jules accompanied them, serving as a chaperone, for appearancesâ sakeâofficially. Unofficially, he kind of⊠he went because he wanted to be around the duke. It freaked him out that he felt addicted to the way Westcliff made him feel, but he couldnât help himself. It felt so good, especially when Westcliff allowed him to rub his face against his scent glandâthe euphoria was beyond his ability to express properly. Afterward, Jules felt so embarrassed, but thankfully, Westcliff didnât make fun of him and always acted as if there was nothing weird about his behavior. âBetter?â he would say in a quiet murmur, and Jules would flush and nod and look anywhere but at him. Every time he told himself it was the last time, but his resolve melted into a mass of goo the next time he saw the duke. It was horrible. Horribly addictive.
Jules ĂŽm láșĄi anh trai mĂŹnh, nhưng cáșŁm giĂĄc lo láșŻng, báș„t an dưá»i da anh khĂŽng thá» biáșżn máș„t. NgÆ°á»Łc láșĄi vá»i Ăœ muá»n cá»§a mĂŹnh, anh tháș„y mĂŹnh Äang nghÄ© Äáșżn cáșŁm giĂĄc an toĂ n như tháșż nĂ o trong vĂČng tay cá»§a Westcliff ngĂ y hĂŽm qua, như thá» khĂŽng gĂŹ cĂł thá» cháșĄm vĂ o anh hay lĂ m anh bá» thÆ°ÆĄng. CĂł láșœ cĂł Westcliff lĂ m alpha cá»§a há» sáșœ khĂŽng pháșŁi lĂ má»t Äiá»u tá»i tá». CĂł láșœ anh nĂȘn cho anh ta má»t cÆĄ há»i. *** Quyáșżt tĂąm cá»§a Jules Äá» cho Westcliff má»t cÆĄ há»i kĂ©o dĂ i chĂnh xĂĄc cho Äáșżn khi Westcliff gá»i Äiá»n cho há» - trĂȘn Liam - vĂ o buá»i chiá»u. Anh khĂŽng biáșżt Äiá»u gĂŹ á» ngưá»i ÄĂ n ĂŽng nĂ y ÄĂŁ khiáșżn anh ná»i gai á»c, tá»± Ăœ thức vĂ chá» trĂch thĂĄi quĂĄ. ÄĂł lĂ má»t sá»± káșżt hợp kỳ láșĄ giữa cĂĄc cáșŁm xĂșc, nhưng anh khĂŽng thá» khĂŽng nhĂŹn Westcliff báș±ng ĂĄnh máșŻt dĂČ xĂ©t, hoĂ i nghi khi cĂŽng tưá»c Äang nĂłi chuyá»n nhá» vá»i Liam vĂ chĂș Wayne. Tháș±ng khá»n tháșm chĂ cĂČn chưa liáșżc nhĂŹn anh má»t láș§n ká» từ khi bưá»c vĂ o phĂČng. Jules khoanh tay trưá»c ngá»±c, sau ÄĂł khĂŽng báșŻt chĂ©o chĂșng. Nháș·t chiáșżc mĂĄy tĂnh báșŁng trĂȘn chiáșżc bĂ n trong gĂłc, anh n